E-learning course on the Minamata Convention on Mercury

InforMEA, a project established by the MEA Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) Initiative, has launched a new online course on the Minamata Convention on Mercury entitled Introductory Course to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The initial section of the course provides the participants with a solid understanding of the environmental challenges posed by global mercury pollution and highlights the urgency of effective global action on mercury. The course then focuses on the operational articles of the Minamata Convention that address this problem, with an emphasis on key articles that address the economic activities resulting in significant mercury emissions and releases, as well as the implementation of those articles. The final section of the course focuses on the articles related to the institutional arrangements and the overall implementation of the Minamata Convention.

At the end of the course, the participants test their knowledge of global mercury pollution and of the provisions of the Minamata Convention in order to obtain a course certificate. The course, supported by funding from the European Union, is available for free on the InforMEA e-learning platform. It is currently available in English with further language versions being developed.

The IKM initiative brings together Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) to develop harmonized and interoperable information systems for the benefit of Parties and the environment community at large. The initiative currently includes 43 international and regional legally binding instruments from 18 Secretariats hosted by three UN organizations and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Initiative invites and welcomes the participation of observers involved with MEA data and information, such as the Environmental Management Group (EMG), the European Environment Agency (EEA),The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), IUCN, the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).